Pressure sensor tutorial

[Ladyada] has released this tutorial on using pressure sensors. They cover everything from the basics of their construction through how to connect and read data from them. The elegant sensor pictured above is available through the adafruit store, but you could always build your own.

Another type of gauge that can be used in such an application is the simple foil strain gauge, which works on the same resistance principle, but instead is adhered directly to the surface of an object to measure the strain. The readings can be calibrated to known pressures or forces, effectively turning any elastic material into a “pressure sensor”.